Discussion on:

The (superior) books behind 2012's sci-fi and fantasy movies

...I'd put a marker down on World War Z. Not just the best zombie novel, but one the best genre books -- period -- I've ever read.

I have not read The Mysterious Island, but I understood that it was a sequel to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, not to Journey to the Center of the Earth. I suppose this is a wake-up call to get a copy and read it, 50 years after reading both the alleged prequels. Off to alibris.fr.

The first film version of this was released in 1961 - and was pretty dang good for the time! Ray Harryhousen did the stop-motion animation for it. And yes it was a sequel of sorts to 20k Leagues...Captain Nemo is in it, played by Herbert Lom (Inspector Clouseau's twitchy superior). I enjoy watching the original, but I'll probably pass on this rendition of it. I like Johnson, just not thrilled about the gooiness this movie seems to project along with the special effects.
Now Hobbit and Hunger Games....I'd have to be dead in order to miss those!

I'm surprised "Avengers, Vol. 1" was not mentioned--.

In Peter Jackson's defense, when you need to get it right for the fans, typically you can get two, maybe three, pages of book per minute of film. The Hobbit certainly qualifies as one of the books with fans who have basically memorized it, and there's a lot to put on the screen.

It looks like a wonderful summer. Zombie movies and remakes of movies about comic book (oops, make that Graphic Novel) stories, with maybe one or two original ideas. Yum.